Have you ever watched a child think hard about something? Their little heads seem to bubble over with ideas.
Well, what if they're really onto something?
Dallas ISD wanted to find out.
The district put groups together and asked them to come up with solutions to problems they see in our everyday lives.
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Miranda Martinez, a fourth grader, and her friends were tired of seeing litter in the neighborhood around their school.
They invented a combination ATM-trash can.
"You put trash inside of it and it gives you money back," Martinez explained. She says the idea inspires people around the world to dispose of trash properly without litering.
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The kids thought of it all. From the hyper local problems to products that could wind up on store shelves.
"We're making a bone for dogs that tests their saliva to see if they have a disease and tells you what it is," said Hannah Koplow, a fourth grader.
The students had to come up with business plans and budgets. They got advice from high schoolers. Some even got away from products and just looked for something simple that would work.
"We're trying to fix the problem of graffiti in our school. If you walk around, you see a lot of drawings everywhere," said Arianna Hernandez, a sixth grader.
Their idea turns the walls back to clean and professional but also dedicates a space in the school where graffiti would be allowed.
"It will be really fun. The kids will love this and it will solve the problem we're having at our school," said Hernandez.
The schools are teaching everything from problem-solving and working together to public speaking.
"It was fun but it was also kind of stressful," said Koplow.
The winning groups were given cash by the district to make their ideas a reality. The graffiti space walked away as one of the winners. The district will work with them this summer to make it happen at Robert Thomas Hill Middle School.
